Rosewater poached pears with saffron cream

This exquisite pudding is best made the day before. It's easiest if you split the pears between two pans so they are not squashed.

Step 1

Place 85g sugar, 3 cloves and 3 peppercorns with 200ml water in a saucepan. Using a potato peeler, finely pare the zest from 1 lemon and add to the sugar along with the juice of this lemon. Repeat the process with the same ingredients in a second pan. Set both over a medium heat and stir occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Simmer for 3 minutes.

Step 2

Peel the pears, trim the calyx (the bottom of the core) and cut in half, keeping the stalk if possible. As you prepare each pear, slip it into the syrup. Allow six pear halves per pan and make sure they are well coated. Cover the pears with crumpled baking parchment. Simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes, or until the pears are tender and translucent. Remove from the heat, add 1/4 tsp rosewater to each pan and tip into a large bowl. Once cool, cover and chill until needed.

Step 3

To make the saffron cream, place the saffron and sugar in a pestle and mortar and grind into a powder, then tip into a mixing bowl. If you don't have a pestle and mortar, put in a mixing bowl and crush using the back of a metal teaspoon. Add the rosewater and stir. Once the saffron has dissolved, add the cream. Whisk to soft peaks. The saffron flavour and colour will develop with time, so ideally make an hour before.

Step 4

Serve each portion of chilled pears with a spoonful or two of spiced syrup and some saffron cream.